HIGH LEVEL FORUM: LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES

Trieste, 3-4-5 April 2009

April 3-4, in Trieste where discussions centered on the reduction of carbon emissions and strengthened the International Research Network for Low Carbon Societies (LCS-RNet).

UNIDO’s Kamdeh Yumkella moderated a major round table on development and dissemination of low-carbon technologies.

The G-8 provides resources for the continued work of the Centre, and UNIDO is part of this Network.

Press release

06 April 2009. New ground rules are needed for the world's energy market and also for the mechanisms used to fund new technologies, Environment Ministry Director General Corrado Clini told the International Forum on Low Carbon Technologies that has just come to an end in Trieste.
Clini explained that, during the three-day talks, "a need emerged for finding new ground rules for the world energy market, especially with regard to international trade, in order to overcome the barriers preventing the transfer of all clean technologies without customs duty".

In Clini's view, the emerging economies, with China and Brazil heading the list, are capable of bringing innovative solutions and technologies into the global market place on condition that new ground rules are laid down at the global level.  Basically, Clini explained, the talks "urged the forging of a global agreement on the introduction of new rules to govern energy efficiency, renewable sources and ways of funding clean carbon technology".

“The current global scenarios", Environment Undersecretary Roberto Menia told the forum, "suggest that we need to create a new model for global development based on low carbon emissions if we are to respond to the dual challenge of climate change and of sustainable energy supplies”.

The forum was organised by the Environment Ministry in conjunction with the Economic Development Ministry, ahead of the G8 environment ministers' meeting on the slate for 22 April in Syracuse, Sicily.
The forum was attended by representatives from 17 different countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) as well as from the European Commission, the International Energy Agency, the United Nations' UNIDO Agency, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Asian Investment Bank, the OECD, and the world's most important energy and automobile corporations.

The talks addressed the prospect of the development and availability of alternative fuels and of new technologies capable of coming up with an adequate response to the growing demand for energy in the next 20 to 30 years without increasing carbon dioxide emissions.  And all of this, in the light of the threat posed by the financial and economic crisis, which could well cut into the resources available for technological innovation.

A final document summing up the forum's conclusions will be submitted:  to the G8 Environment Ministers' Meeting, which is on the slate for 22 to 24 April in Syracuse, Sicily; to the G8 Energy Ministers' Meeting, due to be held in Rome on 24 May; and to the G8 Summit on the island of La Maddalena in July.